According to the helplessness-reactance model, which forms the foundation for the present research, perceptions of lack of control (induced by continuous uncontrollability) lead to helplessness (passivity, withdrawal) and perceptions of loss of control (induced by control followed by uncontrollability) lead to reactance (activity, aggression). In the past, investigations of the helplessness-reactance model have primarily involved adults and have relied heavily on failure as a manipulation of control. In an attempt to make the model more relevant to children, the present research examines the effects of directive and lax adult-control practices on helplessness and reactance in children. It is hypothesized that children coping behaviors will depend on whether they were previously exposed to brief manipulations of directiveness (which resemble manipulations of lack of control employed in the past) or laxness-followed-by-directiveness (which resemble manipulations of loss of control employed in the past). A second hypothesis is that children in whom different coping behaviors have been induced will prefer different adult-control practices. There are four specific predictions: (a) that exposure to directiveness leads to helplessness, (b) that helpless children prefer directive control, (c) that exposure to laxness-followed-by-directiveness leads to reactance, and (d) that reactant children prefer lax control. In all cases comparisons are with no treatment controls. Also to be investigated is whether the form of the coping behavior depends on the situation. It is predicted that helplessness will take the form of decreased persistence in situations where persistence is linked with initiative (opportunities to obtain a self-selected goal), and that it will take the form of increased persistence in situations where it is linked with compliance (requests for presistence). The opposite predictions are generated for reactance. A secondary goal of the present research is to examine the relationship between brief coping behavior reactions and ongoing coping behavior patterns, to help pave the way for research on long-term adult-control interventions.